i think some landlords inflate their rents because they know that incoming transplants with higher paying jobs will look at the high end of rental prices and think "well, if i want to live in a nice area, it can cost $xxxx." i have admittedly fallen for this before and i have definitely seen it in pittsburgh, even in shoddy flips that have no business being rented for the amounts asked

if it's a short term rental, maybe you could make an argument that you're paying for convenience. if you're here for the long haul (or even just a year or two) i suspect you could probably do just as well in location/amenities for a couple grand a month less